How to Sew a Historical Native American Costume
- 1). Measure from your shoulder down to your knees, or to the desired length of the tunic. Purchase 2 to 4 yards of suede, depending on your height. You will need one length of suede for the front and one for the back of the tunic.
- 2). Hold your arms, or the arms of the one who will be wearing the costume, straight out to the side. Measure horizontally from just below one elbow all the way across to just below the other elbow. This is how wide you want your fabric to be cut.
- 3). Cut two pieces of suede to the necessary measurements.
- 4). Lay the two pieces of suede one on top of the other with the "inside" sides together. Place the dinner plate in the middle of one of the short sides so that half of it is covering the fabric. Trace around the plate with a pencil.
- 5). Remove the plate and cut along the half-circle to create an opening for the head. Pin the front to the back at the shoulder seams and sew. Sew only across the shoulder seams, not along the cut half-circle edge.
- 6). Turn the tunic right-side out. Measure down from the shoulder seam 12 inches. Place a pin at the 12-inch mark, but in from the raw edge of the fabric 8 inches, on both sides of the costume. Sew from the pin straight down to the bottom edge of the tunic.
- 7). Cut fringes at the sides of the tunic every 1-½ inches from the 12-inch mark to the bottom edge. Cut fringes in the bottom edge of the tunic by cutting upwards about 4 inches every 1-½ inches.
- 8). Accessorize your Native American costume by hand-sewing beads or ribbons in a decorative design or add a beaded belt. Use vintage pictures of Native Americans to help you arrange and find decorations for your costume.
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